How we pick the events: These listings are not advertisements. They are a selective guide to arts events recommended by Chicago’s culture critics.

Know before you go: Details of listings can change at the last minute. Please call ahead to confirm.

Comedy

CRITIC’S PICK

Amy Schumer

3/28 at 8 With a movie produced by Judd Apatow in the works, the ribald comedienne is on a tear. Catch her standup set before she gets too famous. $37.50–$47.50. Auditorium Theatre, 50 E Congress. ticketmaster.com

CRITIC’S PICK

Bill Cosby

3/29 at 2 and 8 The veteran comic, who stops in Naperville in support of his latest comedy special Far from Finished, really is making good on that title: NBC recently announced Cosby is in talks to produce a new sitcom for the channel. $50–$75. Pfeiffer Hall, 310 E Benton, Naperville. finearts.northcentralcollege.edu

Chicago Improv Festival

3/31–4/6 Divided into nine categories this year, including the new dramatic improv, this festival provides a macrolevel look at one of the city’s most famous exports. $10–$25. Various venues. chicagoimprovfestival.org

Katt Williams

3/21 at 8 Once upon a time, the name Katt Williams was uttered in the same breath as Eddie Murphy and Dave Chappelle. Williams stepped away from the spotlight, dealing with a host of personal issues, so consider his return to the road a hopeful sign. $58–$42. Arie Crown Theater, 2301 S Lake Shore. ariecrown.com

W. Kamau Bell

3/14 at 7 His little-watched but much-buzzed-about talk show, Totally Biased was cancelled late last year. But the comedian shows no signs slowing down, as evidenced by this “Oh, Everything!” tour. $20–$23. Lincoln Hall, 2424 N Lincoln. lincolnhallchicago.com

South Side Irish Parade

3/16 at noon It’s not really St. Patrick’s Day until Beverly hosts this annual parade. No alcohol allowed along the way, but of course the neighborhood is chock-full of Irish bars. Free. Starts at 103rd Street. southsideirishparade.org

Film

CRITIC’S PICK

Doc Films

The University of Chicago’s student-run film society offers a number of compelling series this month, including a showcase of movies by black female directors that includes Ava DuVernay’s drama The Middle of Nowhere (3/13), and screenings of some Academy Award winners. $5. Ida Noyes Hall at University of Chicago, 1212 E. 59th. docfilms.uchicago.edu

Gene Siskel Film Center

Through 5/6The American New Wave. While France and Italy are the countries most associated with new wave films, the curators at the Siskel argue that there was also a U.S. cinematic renaissance happening during the late 1950s and 1960s. Their defense? Fourteen lectures and screenings of some idiosyncratic treasures, including the Andy Warhol film Tarzan and Jane, Regained (3/11) and a documentary by dancer Shirley Clarke, Portrait of Jason (3/18). $11. Gene Siskel Film Center, 164 N State. siskelfilmcenter.org

Moshin Hamid

3/11 at 6 A former banker turned award-winning novelist, the Pakistan-born Hamid reads from his latest novel, How to Get Filthy Rich in Rising Asia. $5–$15. First United Methodist Church, 77 Washington. chicagohumanities.org

FREE!, CRITIC’S PICK

Story Week

3/16–21 Theatre director Kimberly Senior, Little Known Facts author Christine Sneed, and up-and-coming novelist Roxane Gay are people to see at this week-long free dedication to the written word and its local practitioners. Free. Various locations. colum.edu

Miscellaneous

CHILD FRIENDLY

Dinosaur Zoo Live

3/25–3/30 Audience members can explore ancient Australia as they “interact” with large-scale dinosaur puppets developed with the help of paleontologists. $47. Broadway in Chicago at the Broadway Playhouse, 175 E Chestnut. dinosaurzoolive.us, broadwayinchicago.com